An Eighth-Rank Official, Dianju Cheng Xu Xing?
The notorious Rebel King Xing Tian, who was causing such a stir across the land, was originally just an Eighth-Rank court official?
The moment the green-robed junior official finished speaking, it was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples far and wide.
All the court officials present were deeply unsettled.
An Eighth-Rank Dianju Cheng, unless it was a Grand Court Assembly, wouldn’t even qualify to enter the Ziwei Palace and take one of the rearmost seats. Such a mere, insignificant official had forced the hundred thousand strong Forbidden Army into a crushing defeat and caused Guanxi Road to fall...
Fortunately, I managed to establish a good rapport with Xu Xing... by letting Zhao Yunniang go...
Hearing this, Taipu Han Sui, one of the Nine Ministers, secretly rejoiced.
The Imperial Court’s weakness was a fact easily discernible to all officials.
In the past, when Taiwei Wei Wentong was still around, the court had not yet shown clear signs of decline. But ever since the loss of one hundred thousand soldiers of the Forbidden Army in Jiangnan West Road, even though the Imperial Court still had 150,000 soldiers of the Forbidden Army stationed in Shenjing, the myth of the Forbidden Army’s elite status had been shattered. It was widely known that these Forbidden Army soldiers were merely for show and couldn’t withstand a real challenge.
The first to openly challenge imperial authority were the local armies dispatched to suppress the Eighteen Rebel Kings.
Nurturing bandits for self-aggrandizement! Feigning compliance while acting deceitfully!
It would have been one thing if it were only these arrogant military commanders.
Military officials had always been thus.
Only those whose names were announced at the East Flower Gate were considered true men of worth.
However, some time ago, when various provinces submitted their tributes, some remote prefectures and counties had presented substandard goods, passing them off as high-quality items.
These local officials, of course, had their excuses. First, they pleaded poverty. Then, they claimed that bandits were rampant, robbing travelers on the roads, and requested the Imperial Court to dispatch government troops for immediate suppression. If that wasn’t possible, they asked for the authority to recruit and train local militias (composed of rural soldiers).
One incident after another gradually eroded the Imperial Court’s prestige.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see it.
The Imperial Court... was like a grasshopper in late autumn—its days were numbered.
Even if Xu Xing were defeated, merely serving as a precursor to another’s rise to kingship, most people no longer held any optimism for the Imperial Court’s future. Emperor Chongming was not a ruler capable of turning the tide, and none of his heirs showed the capability to bear the weight of the nation in the future.
This fellow surnamed Chen... mentioning Xu Xing now, could it be...
Han Sui’s expression suddenly darkened.
With his head bowed at that moment, no one could see the change in his face.
The official who had rushed to present his memorial before Ouyang Zai was not from the Six Ministries but a Science Officer, Chen Hou, a Supervising Secretary of the Seventh Rank from The Six Divisions, responsible for "remonstrance and oversight."
The officials of The Six Divisions and the Investigating Censors from various regions were collectively known as Censorate Officials (Kedao), responsible for remonstrance and oversight of the affairs of the Six Auditing Bureaus and Hundred Ministries.
If other court officials stepped out of line in the Ziwei Palace and tried to upstage the Zaifu, it was a grave offense, a disruption of court etiquette. However, a Censor from The Six Divisions tasked with remonstrance needed not worry about this and could present a memorial directly.
In the early or middle period of a dynasty, these officials from The Six Divisions might genuinely fulfill their duty of remonstrance. But under the current Chongming reign, they were little more than attack dogs kept by various factions, specializing in slanderous accusations.
At this moment, Chen Hou’s words...
They weren’t just targeting the Zaifu, but also him, Han Taipu, as well!
The Civil & Military Officers fell silent.
Ouyang Zai turned, shot Chen Hou a sidelong glance, then retreated to his place in the ranks of officials.
"What you have said..." the Emperor began.
Emperor Chongming looked coldly at the green-robed junior official kneeling in the hall.
"Every word this minister has spoken is true," Chen Hou declared.
"If there is any falsehood, I am willing to stake my life and the lives of my entire clan as guarantee."
"Xu Xing escaped from Sky Prison and joined the bandits of the Green Forest..."
Chen Hou prostrated, presenting the memorial with both hands.
He was not speaking falsehoods; the contents of the memorial provided evidence proving Xu Xing was indeed King Xing Tian. If Xu Xing had remained solely in Mount Siming in Jiangnan West Road, no one might have discovered that he was the Eighth-Rank convicted official from Sky Prison. But after Xu Xing returned to his hometown in Guanxi Road... such a matter could not be concealed.
Emperor Chongming sneered. "The criminal Xu Xing was burned to death in a fire at Sky Prison long ago. How could there be any talk of escape? You live off the Emperor’s bounty, yet not only do you fail to show gratitude, you dare to slander loyal officials with fabrications."
After speaking, he fixed his gaze on Chen Hou, who was now trembling, with cold sweat beading on his forehead. "I ask you once more: do you still intend to persist with these false accusations?"
Just last night, the Command Envoy of the Night Patrol Department had come to the palace during the night to report Xu Xing’s escape.
The supervision of Sky Prison was also one of the responsibilities of the Night Patrol Department.
He and Command Envoy Liu were milk-brothers, deeply bonded since childhood. How could he blame his foster brother for such a minor lapse?
It was common for the Night Patrol Department, in its duty of overseeing the realm, to occasionally have an oversight.
If Chen Hou’s memorial were actually accepted, the Night Patrol Department would surely suffer the consequences...
Besides, Chen Hou’s memorial was a direct slap in his, the Emperor’s, face!
A mere Eighth-Rank official, after escaping prison, had caused such turmoil throughout the land. People would undoubtedly say that he, the Emperor, was a poor judge of character.
"This... this minister dares not deceive Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty... the memorial this minister submitted was false. It was because I accepted a bribe of 3,000 taels from He Yuanwen, the Governor of Zizhou in Guanxi Road. That is why I told this lie. I implore Your Majesty to show mercy and spare the lives of my family."
Chen Hou finished speaking, his lips trembling.
As soon as his words ended, he staggered to his feet, clenched his teeth, and dashed his head against a palace pillar.
The vermillion lacquer on the pillar seemed to grow even redder.
Witnessing this scene, the assembled officials became even more silent.
No one dared to make another sound.
The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Announce Our imperial decree..."
"Chen Hou, official of The Six Divisions, privately accepted bribes, and all his remonstrances were motivated by self-interest... Considering his timely realization of his error, I, in my benevolence, will not exterminate his three clans. The males of his clan will be exiled three thousand li, and the female members will be consigned to the Bureau of Music."
Emperor Chongming broke the silence, announcing his "magnanimous" decree.
Just moments ago, Chen Hou had guaranteed with his own life and the lives of his entire clan that his report was true. Now that Chen Hou’s words were declared false... He considered himself a magnanimous man; he wouldn’t execute Chen Hou’s entire clan, just sentence them according to precedent.
If he were to punish only Chen Hou, wouldn’t that be tantamount to admitting that what Chen Hou had said was true?!
He absolutely could not afford to be so foolish.
"As for privately accepting bribes..."
A flash of disgust crossed Emperor Chongming’s face as he gestured towards his dragon robe. "Now, in these trying times, even my own dragon robe is mended and patched by the Empress. Your salaries and ranks are all bestowed by the Imperial Court, yet you show no consideration for the nation or its people!"
"A mere seventh-rank official can receive so much ill-gotten silver. What kind of fortunes must the civil and military officials of this entire court possess?"
"I hardly dare to imagine the full extent!"
He berated all the civil and military officials.
After his tirade, he sighed. "Zaifu, how much silver remains in the National Treasury? We are now facing a crisis of national proportions: the Tartars are raiding our northern borders, while in the west, the King of Sorrow and King Xing Tian are stirring up rebellion."
Ouyang Zai stepped forward from the ranks and reported, "For King Xing’s recent birthday celebration, the treasury disbursed 130,000 taels. For the campaigns to suppress the rebels, 750,000 taels were disbursed. Another 150,000 taels went for grain and provisions for the Northern Army, and the Princess’s grand wedding cost 300,000 taels. The taxes from various regions have not yet been collected, and the National Treasury currently holds only 290,000 taels of silver."
"The National Treasury has been operating at a loss for years," he added, "and frequently faces shortfalls."